Child-friendly computer game design: Scratch

Scratch is a free piece of software which allows children to make simple games and animations.

You start by choosing a 'sprite' (a picture) which you then give instructions by slotting together colourful puzzle pieces. So, by choosing the appropriate instruction, you could make your sprite move when you pressed the space bar or change colour when you press the 'enter' key.

Scratch comes with a quite comprehensive library of pictures to use as Sprites and backgrounds. It also includes lots of sounds (headphones are recommended for a Scratch lesson!)

Using Scratch in class
We used Scratch with Year 3 as part of a unit of work on control technology. It fit in well with this unit because it simplifies the concept of creating a list of commands for a computer to follow. It was a good supplement to work with floor turtles.

Year 3 children enjoyed using the software and most managed to make very simple commands to change the Sprites colour or make simple movements. I think older children might get even more out of the program as they explore different functions and assign different movements to different keyboard keys.

Getting started with Scratch
To use Scratch, you need to download it from the website. You could just play around with it, but I would recommend downloading and reading the official 'getting started guide'. It is quite short and talks you through the basics of choosing a 'sprite' and creating a simple list of instructions.